Ditching and grading scraper



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. E. ASHLEY. DITGHING AND GRADING SGRAPER.

Pate ed Jan. 3, 1888.

NUPETERS. Fholo-lilhngraphur, Wnhin tun. I LC.

.(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. E. ASHLEY.

DITGHING AND GRADING SGRAPBR. No. 376,022. Patented Jan. 3, 1888.

- UNITED I STATES LUGIUS E. ASHLEY, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO 'FFICE.

ASA CLARK, OF SAME PLACE.

DIT CHING AND,GRAD'ING SCRAPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 376,022, dated January-3, 1888.

Application filed July 5, 1887. Serial No. 243,460. (No model.)

.To all whom, it nwty concern:

Be it known that I, LUCIUS E. ASHLEY, a citizen of the United States residing at Stockton, in the county of San Joaquin, State of California, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Ditching and Grading Scrapers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the ac company'ing drawings.

My invention relates to certain improvements in scrapers which are mounted upon wheels and drawn. by cattle or horses, and used in making and leveling roads, excavating ditches, canals, and cellars, and generally in raising and removing loosened soil or gravel to a short distance.

It consists in the manner of hanging the iron or steel bottom to the vehicle and controlling its position, as well as the position of the wheels,by a suitablejsystem of levers; also in such other devices as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

To more fully explain my invention reference is bad to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a left-hand side elevation showing my invention complete. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same without the levers. Fig. 3 is a section through line a; roof Fig. 2, showing the raising and loweringlever. Fig. 4 is a sec tion-a1 view showing the carrying-wheels set at an incline. Fig. 5 is adetached view of the raising and loweringlever.

Similar letters of referenceindicate corre sponding parts.

A is the main frame of the vehicular portion of the scraper, and has attached to it at one side by connecting-bars a an operators platform, A.

B represent the convexed wheels, which are shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in an exact vertical position and in Fig. 4. in aslightly inclined position.

Brepresentsthe axles, attached by king-pins B to the body A. Yokes B are attached to the axles and are above the body A, the king pins B connecting them and. the axles and the body A together, and serve as guides to the lateral movementsof the axles for the purpose of controlling the course of the scraper when in action. The draft attachment at the front of clevis, O, and aguide, 0. The rod 0 is loosely attached to the body A by a pin immediately in front of the forward axle. The guide a is a transverse iron arch at the front of the body A, which permits of the free action of the rod 0 at any angle horizontally to the line of the body A. The scraper blade or shoe D may be of iron or steel or an iron-shod board, and is attached at its front to the body A by a hinge, d e e, the head 01 being attached to the blade and the straps e e to the surface of the body A, the three parts being provided with eyes connected together by a cross-pin. A bar, E, is riveted to the blade D just behind the hinge just described, and impinges upon a lug, E, attached beneath the body A, and serves the purpose of steadying the blade D in a suitable working position.

The rear of the blade Dis attached to the body A by diagonal bracesf g and rightangle brace t, forming a right-angle triangle, of which the body A is the base and the blade D is the hypotenuse. The inner ends of the bracesf, g, and 2' are furnished with eyes and engage with the eyes of straps h h, attached to body A by means of a cross-pin.

A lever, F, for raising or lowering the blade D has a hook-shaped end which engages with the brace t, and has within the hook a roller, Z, to prevent friction and to facilitate the raising and lowering movements when the pressthe scraper is composed of a draft rod and ure of the weight of the blade is greatest upon the brace 2'. An ]-shaped iron strap, F, is bolted to the surface of the body A and extends outwardly parallel with the brace i, and has at its outer end an iron circle, K, bolted thereto, which engages with a guide, F, upon the lever F. I

In order to raise the blade D to deposit its load,thc lever Fis thrown to the left-hand side of the scraper, and to lower it into working position again the lever F is reversed, the guide F engaging with the circle K upon the iron F, maintaining it in a steady position.

When traversing uneven grades, I am enabled to change the course of the scraper with out deviating the team by means of vertical levers H H, which are attached to the axles by means of connecting-rods b b. The fulcrums of these levers are upon a yoke, Gr, bolted rigidly to the body A. The lovers are fun nished with spring-detcnts engaging with perforated segments of circles I, which are attached to the ends of yoke G. Dotted lines, in connection with the rear wheels, B, of Fig. 2; illustrate the feature of my invention, and show what may be the relative position of the wheels and axles when controlled by levers H.

The blade D is convex] y formed in order to present a holdingsurface to the earth at its front. The wheels B, being convex, present a holding-edge to the soil capable of resistance to side draft, and by being inclined, as shown in Fig. 4-, still further resist, as required, the

side-draft pressure resulting from the relative position at times of the body A to the team when the blade D is presented obliquely to the line of its draft.

I am aware that it is not new to attach a blade or shoe to a frame and mount the same upon wheels, neither is it new to setsaid blade obliquely to the frame; but

\Vhat I claim as new and of my invention 1s- 1. ThevehielebodyA,thewheelsB,theaXles B, and the blade D, suitably attached to the bodyA,in combination with thelevcr F, and the braces f g i, the lever F, engaging with braeei and being provided with the guide F", engaging with the circle K of the iron F, attached to body A, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, substantially as described, of the body A, the platform A a a, the axles B, the yoke 13, the king-pin B and the draft apparatus consisting of the red C and the transverse yoke 01 3. The combination, substantially as described, of the vehicle A A a B B B B, the blade D,sct obliquely to the body A and havingthe bar Eengaging with the lug E, attached beneath the body A, the connecting-braces f g t, the latter being at right angles to the body A, the body A, the brace 1', blade D, forming a right-angled triangle, the lever F provided with the roller Z, and the J-shaped iron F, provided with the circle K, engaging with the guide F of the lever F.

4. The combination, substantially as described, of the vehicle, the blade D, the yoke G,attachcd to body A and provided with perforated circles I. the guiding-levers H I), attached to axles B and adapted to control the direction of the body A, and the draft attachment consisting of the rod 0 and transverse arch c.

5. A scraperlrame suitably mounted upon axles and wheels, such wheels being convexly formed and inclining upon the axles, in com bination with a scraping-blade set obliquely to the body A, a suitable draft attachment, and suitable levers for raising and lowering the blade and for directing the course of the scraper by changing the position of the axles and wheels irrespective of the course of the team.

6. The combination, with the body A, snitably mounted and provided with the blade D, connected thereto by the brace 2', of the shaped iron F, provided with the circle K, engaging with the guide F upon the lever F, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, substantially as described, of the body A, the platform A, the straps a, and the draft attachment 0 c.

8. The combination, substantially as described, of the body A, the convex wheels B, the axles B, the yokes B, and the kingpins B.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LUCIUS E. ASHLEY. XVitnesses:

JosErH A. MILLER, ELIHU B. Srown. 

